Sikorsky Firefly: An Electric Helicopter

It's at nearly gross weight before the pilot steps in and can only fly for 15 minutes, but that's not the point. Sikorsky Innovations sees the Firefly as a testbed for the technologies that may make for a real electric helicopter ... someday.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• electric
• flight
• aviation
• sikorsky
• helicopter
• firefly

[NigelLoller]

In flight recharging may be somewhat risky

[F0ckUtoob]

Nikola Tesla says; FAIL!! Ha ha... I designed a car with no batteries!

RIP sir. Your innovations would have been welcome in a non-capitalist Utopian society not based off of selling debt, mindless consumption and greed.

[rednck09]

15 minutes gives you just enough time to get high enough to do a autorotation.. Which I wouldn't want to try in a electric helicopter. :/ I could see this being usefull if you were putting a camera on it to take pictures because of less vibration.. But then why not just get a electric rc helicopter? Cheeper and you can still get your good pics.

[Wildkkat1]

15 minutes duration.........worthless

[jimbob172]

teleprompter much?

[TheArfdog]

@Dragon69Fly Ok, yeah maybe that's not a bad idea.

[Dragon69Fly]

@TheArfdog

I think youre confused of the varible pitch for yaw controll.

I was talking about powering or rotating the tail rotor not the pitch mechanic.

Elecktro motor's are strong enough these day's

Look for example to rc heli's

a trex 450 wil fly around 8minute's with a transmission or belt drive.

while you replace the transmission line or belt with a motor(qouted you won't change the pitch meganism)

I get around 14minutes of flight time same battery, flying and windconditions.

[emp29]

@wristp1n it's because of the short flight time. By the time the videographer was ready to shoot, the thing has landed and shut down.

[TheArfdog]

@Dragon69Fly Direct drive has worse response time compared to transmission drive. It takes milliseconds to send a signal, where a mechanical pitch control is instantaneous. Delayed control is bad, so direct tail drive is bad. It also won't save that much power.

[wristp1n]

amazing that there are no flight videos! im not impressed

[mcgrath9]

the first car ran on wood, you had to make a fire and wait for the water to heat up,

one day everything will be electric. Trains,aircraft carriers, submarines, cruise ships. oh wait that is today.

[Dragon69Fly]

@TheArfdog

Direct taildrive is much bether. You can have the best tail rpm. Nothing will changes the pitch so you wouldn't notish a thing.

Just google for fun under direct taildrive.

With less rotating parts it would even use less power, although there is an additional motor and motor controller it still will use Less power and longer flight time's ;)